How can you believe that you have lived before?And if you believe it, how do you reconcile the two persons that you were and are?

Gwen, the wry narrator of the tale, grapples with the truth of her existence and what it will mean for the rest of her life. She expected to begin her first day of senior year at a new high school, and instead she began a new life plagued by the truth of the horrible natural disasters that rock the United States, the painful trickle of strange memories, and a seemingly impossible task: to find others like her, so that they may stop the cataclysmic future that is in store for them and the rest of the world.

There is action, there is a smattering of romance, there is magic, travel, and there is a sense of urgency that makes the story difficult to leave.

The story itself is told exclusively from Gwen's point of view. She is a believable and likable narrator; her reactions, fears, and hopes reflect what one would expect of a seventeen-year-old whose recent dreams of the near future had been dashed. It was satisfying to read about a heroine who was afraid and wary of her magic--Gwen comes across as real, as human. It was mostly my interest in her end of the story that kept me reading.

Additional characters, like Kian, her mysterious guide, add more depth to the story, although I wished that Gwen's friends, and fellow travelers Garrison and Seth had as much depth. There are times when the action slows, but it did not prevent me from quickly finishing the book. There are also a few junctures when I feel as if the author might be holding back information, but she treads a very fine line throughout to give the reader the suspense and worry necessary for the characters' fates. One of the things I wished for was a little more detail regarding the historical aspects of the book.

Readers who enjoy a story with latent historical elements, or contemporary fantasy would no doubt pick this one right up.

*note: I recieved a copy of this book from Dundurn Press via Netgalley in exchange for honest feedback.